Balloon separator for spinning or twisting machine



lm zwra? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. J. KEYSER BALLOON SEPARATOR FOR SPINNING OR TWISTING MACHINE Filed March 5, 1962 April 23, 1963 April 23, 1963 J. J. KEYSER 3,036,350

BALLOON SEPARATOR FOR SPINNING OR TWISTING MACHINE Filed March5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

MWENTOP Jlhann Reb key United States Patent Ofiice I 3,086,350 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 Claims The present invention relates to spinning or twisting machines with separating plates for the balloon of thread, which plates are arranged between adjacent spindles and are adjustable from their working position into the longitudinal central plane of the machine, and vice versa.

When spinning and twisting according to most of the customary methods, a balloon of thread is formed. In all instances, the magnitude of a balloon of thread has to be limited to such a size that the balloons of two adjacent spindles will not interfere with each other. Also, provision must be made that the balloons of moving thread will not be interfered with by a broken thread from an adjacent spindle.

To this end, numerous balloon separators or balloon restricting rings have been developed for separating or restricting balloons of thread. For instance, with spinning machines having a stationary ring rail, due to the fact that the size of the balloons of thread remains substantially the same, balloon separators only have been employed, i.e., devices which are mounted between two adjacent spindles and above the ring rail. To this end, balloon separators are known which are either connected to the ring rail or hinged to the ring rail so as to be foldable away. Furthermore, balloon separators have become known which are arranged on the machine frame in a certain position.

However, with spinning machines having an upwardly and downwardly moving ring rail, the balloon separators may at any rate be connected to the ring rail, in which instance the balloon separators may be fixedly connected to the ring rail or may be hinged thereto so as to be foldable. In both instances, it is known to arrange the balloon separators so that they can be folded away from the servicing side and also toward the servicing side. The'balloon separators may have various shapes and may be made of metal or of synthetic material as, for instance, of cast light metal, or they may be designed in the form of plate-like members. Fixedly connected balloon separators interfere with the handling, but also with tiltably arranged balloon separators an interference of the handling by the balloon separators cannot always be avoided because in most instances, the balloon separators cannot be completely tilted out of the handling range. With all embodiments, mounting and operating members are provided to a more or less extent, depending on whether the balloon separators are designed for individual or group handling, which members are liable to collect lint, dust and the like and, more specifically, in the direct neighborhood of the thread being wound onto the yarn body. The same situation also applies to other known methods with which a balloon of thread is being formed. For these reasons, means have been suggested for moving the balloon separating plates toward the longitudinal central plane of the machine, and vice versa. However, with the heretofore known embodiments, it was necessary always to displace a larger group of separating plates together. Such arrangement is disadvantageous in connection with the remedying of one single broken thread on a single spindle, because all separating plates pertaining to the respective group had to be displaced out of the range of the spindles pertaining thereto when the separating plate pertaining to said single spindle was necessary. In other words, while it was possible to carry out a necessary operoperations had to be performed which could cause further v difiiculties with regard to the spinning operation.

In addition to the above, with the nowadays required high spindle speeds, the balloon of thread is also alfected by air currents so that efforts should be undertaken to allow the balloon of thread to circulate in a space which is closed as far as possible.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a balloon separating plate in an arrangement of the above-mentioned type, which will overcome the abovementioned drawbacks while also meeting the requirements of modern balloon separators. I

It is another object of this invention to provide separating plates of the type set forth in the preceding paragraph, which are simple and adjustable individually.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a cross-section through a portion of a ring spinning machine equipped with a balloon separating plate according to the invention.

FIGURES 2., 3 and 4 illustrate details of the present invention but on a larger scale than FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 represents a cross-section through a portion of a ring spinning machine with a modified balloon separating plate according to the invention.

FIGURE 6 shows a detail of the arrangement of FIG- URE 5 but on a larger scale than the latter.

General Arrangement The objects set forth above have-been realized according to the present invention primarily in that each separating plate has at least its upper marginal portion slidably guided in a respective guiding groove, guiding rail, or the like, associated with the stationary machine frame and is displaceable individually.

Such an arrangement of the balloon separating plates yields the possibility of moving only one of the two separating plates, or both separating plates, at both sides of a spindle out of its working position away from the side of operation by the operator, whereby it will be assured that the operator can properly handle the spindle or service the same, for instance, in case of a break in the thread, because within the servicing range of the spindle there will be no interfering part. Also during the dofiing or removing operation, the displaceability of the balloon separating plates from their working position is of great importance because in this way, no interference by the balloon plates'will occur during said doffing or removing operation. This is also of importance in connection with the employability of automatic doffing devices. In addition thereto, the arrangement of a balloon separating plate according to the invention yields the advantage that within the range of the moving thread, with the exception of the plate, no parts are present which can be soiled or interfere with the operation on the part of the operator. At the same time, the separating plate according to the invention'brings about an improved shrouding against air currents which, during the movement of the machine, could unfavorably affect the balloon of thread.

The separating plates are, in conformity with the present invention, so designed that each separating plate, at least at itsupper front and lower marginal portion, has a beaded frame which forms one piece with the plate body and which simultaneously forms'a guiding part and an abutment.

According to another embodiment of the invention, each separating plate has at least at its upper front and lower marginal portion a tubular frame for engagement with the marginal portions of a plate body, which frame forms a guiding member and at the same time, a movement-limiting member.

With both embodiments, there exists the possibility that each separating plate is adapted to be coupled to a moving device or to be detached therefrom. In this connection, it is provided that the frame and/or the plate body of each separating plate forms a part of the moving device. According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, the upper or lower marginal portion of each separating plate has at least a portion of its length provided with teeth, while the teeth mesh with a rotatable stationarilly journalled gear. Advantageously, the teeth may be provided at the upper or lower marginal portion and may extend through a slot in the tubular frame.

The moving device for the separating plates may be designed accordingly. By means of said moving device for the balloon separating plates, it is possible selectively to move all of the separating plates of a machine side so that prior to the removal of the yarn body, they may be moved toward the longitudinal central plane of the machine and after completing the removal operation, may again be returned to their working position. If desired, temporarily, one of the separating plates adjacent a spindle may be displaced without interference by the common drive of all separating plates of a machine side. Similarly, the two separating plates on each side of a spindle may be moved out of their working position for handling the spindle when a thread break occurred, without interference by the common drive of all separating plates of a machine side. Such an actuation of the separating plates can be carried out individually whenever desired or required. A firm grasping of the frame at any desired portion will suffice to displace the respective separating plate.

Structural Arrangement Referring now to the drawing in detail, FIG. 1 shows a portion of a ring spinning machine of a known type the frame of which comprises columns 1, transverse supports 2, and longitudinal rails 3 extending in longitudinal direction of the machine. These rails 3 form the roller beam. Supported by columns 1 is a stationary ring rail 4 with the spinning rings 5, whereas the thread guides 6 are tiltably mounted on the end face of the longitudinal rail 3, and a drafting mechanism 7, with aprons, is mounted on the upper side of the longitudinal rail 3. The sliver being drafted in said drafting mechanism 7 is rotated in a manner known per se by the runner rotating on the spinning ring to thereby form a balloon of thread. The thus drafted sliver is wound as thread upon the yarn body 8. The yarn body 8 is rotated by means of a spindle and an upwardly and downwardly moving spindle rail, said spindle and spinning rail not being shown in the drawing.

In conformity with the present invention, between each two adjacent spindles there is provided a balloon separating plate 9 which is displaceable from its working position toward the longitudinal central plane of the machine, and vice versa. To this end, the separating plate 9 is guided at least at its upper marginal portion 10 at which end it engages guiding grooves, guiding rails or the like within the machine frame.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the separating plate 9 is guided at its upper marginal portion 10 and also at its lower marginal portion 11. As will be evident from FIGS. 1 and 2, the guiding means for the upper marginal portion 10 of the separating plate 9 is formed by a depression 12 which is arranged in the central portion between two spindles and forms a part of a guiding plate 13. This guiding plate 13 is by means of screws 14 connected to the back side of the longitudinal rail 3 of one machine side and is correspondingly connected to the non-illustrated longitudinal rail of the other machine side. The lower marginal portion 11 of the separating plate 9 is, for purposes of guiding the same, likewise equipped with a guiding plate 15 which, similar to the guiding plate 13, is provided with depressions 16. The guiding plate 15 has that end thereof which faces the operator connected by screws 17 to the support for ring rail 4 and this is done on both sides of the machine. In this Way, the separating plate 9 can be manually displaced in the guiding means formed by the depressions 12 and 16 toward the longitudinal central plane of the machine and away therefrom. This displaceability will be retained even through there is provided at least one mechanical drive common to the separating plate 9 of a machine side for moving the separating plates in and out.

Each individual separating plate 9 according to FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a plate body 21 and a tubular frame 22 embracing the same which frame is slit on its inside. The thus formed slit is engaged by the marginal portions of the plate body 21. The tubular frame 22 reliably guides the separating plate 9 in the depressions 12 and 16 of the guiding plates 13 and 15. In order to be able to carry out the common mechanical drive of the separating plates of a machine side, at least one of the marginal portions forming the upper or lower closure for the plate body 21 is at least over a portion of its length provided with teeth which mesh with the teeth of a rotatable stationarily journalled gear. According to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the lower marginal portion of the plate body 21 is provided with teeth 23, as also shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. These teeth 23 mesh with gear 24 which is supported by a shaft 25 extending in longitudinal direction of the machine. Shaft 25 is in a suitable manner stationarily journalled, for instance, in the lower guiding plate 15. In order to permit the teeth of gear 24 to mesh with the teeth 23 at the lower marginal portion of the plate body 21, the tubular frame 22 is slit over the length of the teeth 23 on plate body 21. In other words, the teeth 23 of the marginal portion of the plate body extend through slit 26, as is evident from FIG. 4. If the gears 24 for all separating plates 9 on one machine side were connected to the shaft 25, a simultaneous displacement of all separating plates 9 of one machine side could be carried out by movement of shaft 25. Such an arrangement, however, would be very inconvenient, for instance, for overcoming an individual thread break at a spinning station, because to this end it is merely necessary to displace one or two separating plates laterally of the respective yarn body. The drive transmission between shaft 25 and gears 24 is, for this reason, so designed that, selectively, an individual separating plate 9 or only a small number of separating plates 9 may be displaced by hand, whereas an actuation of all separating plates 9 of a machine side is effected by a drive shaft 25 common to all separating plates. To this end it is provided that the rotatable gear 24 has a number of teeth which is at least by one tooth greater than the number of teeth 23 of the plate body 21 corresponding to the displacement stroke. Furthermore, each of the gears 24 is adapted, by means of an abutment coupling, to be coupled to shaft 25. Said abutment coupling comprises a pin 27 radially inserted into shaft 25, and a pin 28 extending transverse to pin 27 and connected to gear 24. By means of said abutment coupling, it is possible manually to displace each desired separating plate 9 from its working position toward the longitudinal central plane of the machine, and vice versa, and it is also possible to displace all of the separating plates 9 of one machine side in common, by rotating shaft 25 Inasmuch as the stroke of displacement of separating plate 9 may be relatively long, the slot 26 in tubular frame 22 must have a corresponding length in order to permit the teeth .23 at the edge portion of plate body 21 to extend through slot 26. In order to avoid too great a length of slot 26 and thus a possible deformation of frame 22 at this portion, according to the present invention, the slot gap of the frame leg is interrupted by at least one web designed as tooth. It is at this place that the corresponding tooth at the marginal portion of the plate body has been omitted. FIG. 3 shows a corresponding design with two tooth-shaped webs 29, at the loca- 'tion of which the teeth 23 at the edge portion of plate body 21 are each provided with a gap. In this way, slot 26 is interrupted in tubular frame 22 in order to make sure that frame 22 has the necessary stability, while nevertheless the drive transmission will not be interfered with.

The guiding plates 13 and for guiding the upper and lower marginal portion of the separating plates 9, respectively, extend in longitudinal direction of the machine, preferably over a greater number of spinning stations, for instance from roller stand to roller stand of the frame. In this way, the guiding plates 13 and 15 serve not only for guiding the separating plates 9 but at the same time form a cover or shroud. For instance, the lower guiding plate 15 covers the gears 24 and shaft 25 and, as the case may be, it also protects the spindle drive. Similarly, also the upper guiding plate 13 may serve as cover or protection for the other parts.

It would also be possible, instead of the guiding plates 13 and 15, to provide for each separating plate 9 individ ual guiding means as, for instance, profiled rails.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified ring spinning machine according to which the frame of the rings spinning machine is formed by transverse frames 31. The head ends of said frames 31 are at both machine sides connected by longitudinal rails extending in longitudinal direction of the machine. Of these longitudinal rails, the longitudinal rails 32 on the left-hand machine side are visible in the drawing. The ring rail 33 is in this instance connected to lifter columns 34 which move the ring rail 33 upwardly and downwardly. Connected to ring rail 33 are spinning rings 35. Similar to the preceding embodiment, thread guides 36 are linked to the head side of the longitudinal rail 32 and at the upper side of the longitudinal rail 32 there is supported a drafting mechanism 37 with aprons. The spun thread is in a manner known per se wound upon a yarn body 38 which is mounted on a spindle of a stationary spindle rail, while a balloon of thread is formed between the spinning ring and the thread guide 36.

Similar to the above described embodiment, in the center between two adjacent yarn bodies 38 there is arranged a balloon separating plate 41 which is adapted to be displaced from its Working position toward the 1011 gitudinal central plane of the machine, and vice versa. Each balloon separating plate 41 consists, as indicated in particular in FIG. 6, of a plate body 42 and a tubular frame 43 slotted at its inner side, said frame embracing the plate body 42. The separating plates 41 in this instance have their upper frame leg 44 displaceably arranged in a guiding tube 45 which opens in downward direction, and which is connected in any suitable manner to the longitudinal rail 32. This holding arrangement yields a suspended arrangement of the separating plates 41 in contrast to the above-mentioned embodiment according to which the separating plates 9 may be consid ered standing up. This suspended arrangement of separating plates 41 yields the possibility that the separating plates may move into their respective position in the manner of a pendulum. This arrangement has the advantage, for instance when remedying a break in a thread, that it is sufficient to swing toward the side of one of the two separating plates at the sides of the respective yarn body, without the necessity of displacing the plates. Moreover, as the case may be, the height of the separating plates may be varied without necessitating a change in the mounting and moving parts. For instance, the separating plates may be lower or higher than the separating plates 41 of FIG. 5, so that in the first instance, the separating plates would end above spinning ring 35, whereas 6 a in the second instance they may reach downwardly to the bottom of the yarn body 38 or to the spindle rail.

Regardless of the height of the separating plates, the plates could carry out a pendulum movement while the width of the slot 46 in guiding tube 45 may limit the pendulum movement.

With the design of the balloon separating plates 41 and the guide therefor as described above, each separating plate is displaced by hand. Similar to the preceding embodiment, there is provided for all separating plates of one machine side a drive common to all of said plates which, in this instance, would engage the upper marginal portion of the plate bodies 42. The teeth 23, gear 24-, shaft 25, slot 26, abutment coupling formed by pins 27 and 28, and webs 29 are provided in a similar manner as with the preceding embodiment, however, are arranged at the upper marginal portion of the balloon separating plate 41. Shaft 25 is in this instance journalled in a suitable manner on the longitudinal rail 32 which simultaneously forms a protection for the movable parts. In this way, the balloon separating plates can be actuated not only individually by hand but also in common by means of shaft 25, so as to be moved from their working position to the central longitudinal plane of the machine, and vice versa. If, for any reason it should be necessary, the lower frame leg 47 may likewise be guided, for instance in the illustrated guiding member 48 which may be mounted on a holding rail 49 extending in longitudinal direction of the machine and connected to the transverse frame 31. In this connection, there exists the possibility ofproviding the guiding member 48 with a recess which will permit a slight pendulum movement of the separating plate.

The individual guiding tubes 45 may, similar to the preceding embodiment, be arranged on a larger guiding plate, which could simultaneously serve as cover.

The two embodiments show balloon separating plates 9' and 41 respectively, which consist of a plate body and a tubular frame embracing same. In such an instance, the balloon separating plate may consist of different materials, for instance, the plate body may be of sheet metal and the tubular frame may be of synthetic material. If desired, however, the separating plate may consist of a plate body and a bead frame forming one piece thereof, while the material may uniformly consist, for instance, of Plexiglas, Of course, various other materials may be employed for the manufacture of such separating plates. It would also be possible, when employing a sufficiently rigid material, to dispense with a frame-like marginal reinforcement.

Also, the displacing mechanism for the separating plates may be varied. The movement of the separating plates could, for instance, be effected by means of a doubleacting pulling arrangement or by means of a lever system. It is also possible to vary the individual parts in an equivalent manner, in conformity with the present invention, in order to adapt the invention to types of spinning or twisting machines different from those illustrated in the drawings, according to which a confinement is desired between adjacent yarn bodies.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular constructions shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a spinning or twisting machine having a plurality of spindles spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine: a frame,, a plurality of balloon separators, and a plurality of guiding means connected to said frame and extending at an angle to the longitudinal direction of said machine for guidingly receiving at least the upper marginal portion of said balloon separators and permitting adjustment of each of said balloon separators individually from a working position into an ineffective position and vice versa, said balloon separators respectively being arranged between each two adjacent spindles.

2. In combination with a spinning or twisting machine having a plurality of spindles spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine: a frame, a plurality of balloon separator plates having tubular frame means connected to and embracing the front and bottom and top marginal portions of the respective plate, and a plurality of guiding means connected to said frame for slidably receiving and guiding said frame means and permitting adjustment of each of said balloon separator plates individually from a working position into an ineffective position and vice versa, said balloon separator plates respectively being arranged between each two adjacent spindles.

3. In combination with a spinning =or twisting machine having a plurality of spindles spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine: a frame, a plurality of balloon separator plates having tubular frame means connected to and embracing the front and bottom and top marginal portions of the respective plate, and a plurality of guiding means connected to said frame for slidably receiving and guiding said tubular frame means and permitting adjustment of each of said balloon separator plates individually from a working position into an inelfective position and vice versa, said balloon separator plates respectively being arranged between each two adjacent spindles, and said tubular frame means being provided with a slot along the longitudinal extension thereof into which extends the adjacent marginal portion of the respective separator plate.

4. In combination with a spinning or twisting machine having a plurality of spindles spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine: a frame, a plurality of ballon separator plates having tubular frame means connected to and embracing the front and bottom and top marginal portions of the respective plate, a plurality of guiding means connected to said frame for slidably receiving and guiding said frame and permitting adjustment of each of said balloon separator plates individually from a working position into an ineffective position and vice versa, said balloon separator plates respectively being arranged between each two adjacent spindles, driving means operatively connected to each of said balloon separator plates, and coupling means respectively associated with each of said balloon separator plates and adapted individually to be conected to and disconnected from said driving means for selectively effecting adjustment of all of said balloon separator plates in common by said driving means or for adjusting any of said balloon separator plates independently of the other balloon separator plates.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, in which at least one of the two groups of elements, namely the balloon separator plates and the tubular frame means, including means forming a part of said driving means.

6. In combination with a spinning or twisting machine having a plurality of spindles spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine: a frame, a plurality of balloon separator plates having tubular frame means connected to and embracing the front and bottom and top marginal portions of the respective plate, a plurality of guiding means connected to said frame for slidably receiving and guiding said frame means and permitting adjustment of each of said balloon separator plates individually from a working position into an ineffective position and vice versa, said balloon separator plates respectively being arranged between each two adjacent spindles, at least the upper or lower marginal portion of each balloon separator plate being provided with teeth, gear means respectively meshing with said teeth, driving means drivingly connected to said gear means, and means operable selectively for interrupting driving connection of any of said gear means with said driving means.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6 in which the teeth extend through said tubular frame means.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 866,180 Great Britain Apr. 26, 1961 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SPINNING OR TWISTING MACHINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPINDLES SPACED FROM EACH OTHER IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE MACHINE: A FRAME,, A PLURALITY OF BALLOON SEPARATORS, AND A PLURALITY OF GUIDING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME AND EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID MACHINE FOR GUIDINGLY RECEIVING AT LEAST THE UPPER MARGINAL PORTION OF SAID BALLOON SEPARATORS AND PERMITTING ADJUSTMENT OF EACH OF SAID BALLOON SEPARATORS INDIVIDUALLY FROM A WORKING POSITION INTO AN INEFFECTIVE POSITION AND VICE VERSA, SAID BALLOON SEPARATORS RESPECTIVELY BEING ARRANGED BETWEEN EACH TWO ADJACENT SPINDLES. 